New Delhi: Times Now has accessed the first visuals of the Red Fort blast, capturing the exact moment an i20 car exploded near the historic monument, killing
at least 12 on Monday. The CCTV footage shows the blast inside the car of suspected JeM terrorist Umar. The clip reveals how a massive balloon of fire erupted at the site following the explosion. The visual, which was recorded by a surveillance camera installed at the Red Fort crossing, showed busy traffic movements before a sudden fireball engulfed the screen. The blast, which occurred around 6.50 pm on Monday, appeared like a red balloon bursting, followed by chaos and panic as people run for cover. The CCTV recording corroborated the time of the explosion that investigators established earlier. The car is believed to have been driven by Dr Umar Nabi, assistant professor at Al-Falah University in Haryana's Faridabad.
Red Fort Blast Not A Suicide Attack, Suspect Triggered It In Panic
Two days after the blast, the investigations into the terror attack near Red Fort are progressing rapidly. Initial findings indicate that the car explosion was not a typical suicide blast, but was instead triggered in panic by the suspect.
Explosives Recovered from Faridabad, Saharanpur and Pulwama
Security agencies have been conducting raids across multiple locations linked to terror networks and have recovered significant quantities of explosives in Faridabad, Saharanpur, Pulwama, and other areas. Investigators believe the suspect acted hastily under mounting pressure.
Sources told ANI that the suspect did not follow the usual pattern of a suicide car bombing -- he neither rammed the car into a target nor collided intentionally. The blast near the Red Fort did not follow the typical modus operandi of suicide bombers, who aim to inflict maximum damage.
Was The bomb Premature?
Agency sources revealed that the bomb was premature and not fully developed. The explosion did not create a crater, and no shrapnel or projectiles were found. The vehicle was still moving when the blast occurred, and the IED was not equipped to cause heavy casualties.
Pan-India Crackdown Averted a Big Terror Attack
Due to pan-India vigilance and coordinated crackdowns, security agencies successfully averted what could have been a massive attack, the sources said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked the National Investigation Agency, which is probing the Delhi blast case, to submit its investigation report at the earliest, the sources said earlier.
He has also instructed the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to analyse and match the samples collected from the blast site and provide a comprehensive report on the explosion without delay.
Shah gave the directions while chairing the security review meeting at his residence earlier on Tuesday. The car blast near the Red Fort had left eight people dead and several others injured on Monday.
NIA Investigating Delhi Red Fort Attack
In the meeting, the Home Minister formally handed over the investigation of the case to NIA from Delhi Police, directing the anti-terror agency to conduct a thorough probe into the incident and submit a detailed report at the earliest.
He also instructed the FSL to closely examine and match the samples collected from the blast site, including material evidence and remains recovered from the charred vehicle.
The Home Minister emphasised the need for a swift and coordinated investigation to determine the nature of the explosives used and identify those behind the attack.
"Chairing a high-level security review meeting a day after the Delhi car blast, Union Home Minister Amit Shah decided to hand over the investigation of the incident to the NIA. The NIA was instructed to investigate and submit a report at the earliest. He also instructed the Forensic Science Laboratory to match and investigate the sample specimens collected from the blast spot and come up with the details of the blast at the earliest. It was also instructed to match the samples collected from the bodies in the car that exploded," a source said.
With inputs from ANI
